as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
Philip was utterly humbled by a crushing defeat in the first round of the state chess tournament
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Recent Examples of humbled
McIlroy, with his charming Irish lilt and very blue-collar backstory, was tailor-made for the gig but he’s been humbled by golf plenty, too.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
The Administration’s cowboy capture of the Venezuelan autocrat Nicolás Maduro, on January 3rd, prompted an airspace closure in the Caribbean, stranding many populations, none as humbled as the American tourists, gone to the islands for rest and relaxation over the winter holiday.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
North will now join Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum and Key in picking their team for Lord’s that is expected to still be similar to the one humbled 4-1 by Australia with the exception of a new opening batter.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 7 May 2026
But while Tom may start off exasperated and depressed, he’s soon humbled and invigorated to hilarious extremes.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Consequently, reactions to being selected on Day 3 range from anger to feeling blessed to being humbled to being motivated to be better.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Far from being humbled, Kirby doubled down publicly.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The offensive had weapons and the defense boasted two fang-bearing edge rushers and a No Fly Zone secondary that humbled All-Pros, MVPs and journeymen without remorse.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Biolos said he’s honored and humbled to be recognized by SIMA and share the night with the other honorees.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
The Administration’s cowboy capture of the Venezuelan autocrat Nicolás Maduro, on January 3rd, prompted an airspace closure in the Caribbean, stranding many populations, none as humbled as the American tourists, gone to the islands for rest and relaxation over the winter holiday.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
North will now join Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum and Key in picking their team for Lord’s that is expected to still be similar to the one humbled 4-1 by Australia with the exception of a new opening batter.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 7 May 2026
But while Tom may start off exasperated and depressed, he’s soon humbled and invigorated to hilarious extremes.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Consequently, reactions to being selected on Day 3 range from anger to feeling blessed to being humbled to being motivated to be better.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Far from being humbled, Kirby doubled down publicly.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The offensive had weapons and the defense boasted two fang-bearing edge rushers and a No Fly Zone secondary that humbled All-Pros, MVPs and journeymen without remorse.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Biolos said he’s honored and humbled to be recognized by SIMA and share the night with the other honorees.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbled
Verb
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You can be humiliated, and won’t that be awful?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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Those who don’t get the job leave diminished, sometimes humiliated, and the institution absorbs the damage quietly for years.—
Paul Hardart,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The case later drew attention from the Innocence Project, which said advances in DNA testing ultimately discredited the prosecution’s core forensic evidence.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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But whereas leftist thinkers starting with Marx saw the liberal ideal as totally discredited, a mere camouflage for capitalist power, Habermas kept faith with the utopian potential of liberalism.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The Sixers were embarrassed by the Knicks 144-114 in Game 4 in front of a New York-heavy crowd in South Philadelphia.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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That this series has flipped on its head seemed almost impossible last Sunday, when the Celtics embarrassed Philadelphia in a Game 4 win on the Sixers’ home floor.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbled. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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